The present invention relates to an assembly for selectively opening and/or closing a side door of a railway boxcar.
Railway boxcars commonly have a side door so that the boxcar may be opened and closed for loading and unloading. A side door is typically mounted on a track so that the side door may slide laterally between an open position and a closed position along the side of the boxcar.
However, problems are frequently encountered when manually operating a side door of a boxcar, especially when the boxcar is loaded or has a damaged side door. Cargo has a tendency to shift during transport so that the weight of the cargo bears on the door as it is opened, making it much more difficult to slide the side door manually along the track and causing injuries from strains or falls to persons attempting to do so. Comparable resistance to sliding occurs even in the case of an unloaded boxcar if the side door is damaged, causing similar injuries. Also, the cargo may potentially fall upon a person operating the side door as it is opened. Worse still, the weight of the cargo upon the side door will sometimes cause the side door to jump the track and fall as it is being opened, further endangering the person opening the door. Moreover, with a newly loaded boxcar the bulk of the cargo may protrude into the doorway opening, making it difficult or impossible to slide the side door into a closed position manually.
Because of the foregoing difficulties in opening and closing a side door of a boxcar, it has been common to use mechanized equipment, such as a lift truck, to provide the needed force to overcome resistance to sliding of the door. For example, by engaging the forks of the lift truck with a handle on the side door, the side door can be opened by driving the lift truck forward along the length of the boxcar. Unfortunately, use of this method still exposes the lift truck operator to the risk of falling cargo as the side door is opened. Also, because of the transverse forces caused by the lift truck on the side door, using a lift truck in this fashion makes it potentially more likely that the side door will jump the tracks, causing personal injury or property damage.
Switzer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,509, discloses a lift truck attachment having dual sleeves that fit over the forks of a lift truck. A rigid beam is mounted transversely over the sleeves and terminates at a point broadside of the lift truck. At the broadside end of the rigid beam is a hook and chain assembly that connects to the side door. The lift truck can thus be used to pull the door open as it drives backwards and to push the door shut as it drives forward, so that the lift truck operator is largely free of the path of any cargo that might fall. Similarly, Weaver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,730 and Fuller, U.S. Pat. No 4,149,644 both disclose lift truck attachments that provide for rigid, lateral connection to a side door of a boxcar at a point broadside of the lift truck.
The existing assemblies just described also have disadvantages, however. Principally, there is often insufficient space alongside the length of the boxcar to drive a lift truck a sufficient distance to open or close the side door. Also, depending on the weight of the side door relative to the lift truck, if the side door jumps its track the connection to the lift truck may lead the lift truck to tip over, injuring the operator.
What is desired, therefore, is a railway boxcar door operating assembly that operates side doors of boxcars easily whether the boxcar is loaded or empty, that protects the operator from injury as the side door is opened, and that is operable in close quarters.
The present invention addresses the foregoing concerns by providing a rail car side door operating apparatus having a mobile frame or vehicle, an engagement member attachable to the side door, and a power actuator assembly that forces lateral movement of the engagement member relative to the frame or vehicle to operate the door.